Its really really annoyed me. Imagine if Mclaren had turned up with the MP4-2c for the boys, but in a lovely shade of mirror and orange and ‘vodafone’ sprawled across the side. There would be an uproar, and the BGP001 is one of my favourite cars of all time :(

F1 teams generally run show cars at Goodwood, i.e. last year’s car painted in this year’s livery – see the Santander signage on the Ferrari F60. Show cars tend to be shipped around the world for demonstrations and static displays as promotional tools for the team and its current sponsors. Mercedes bought Brawn and, unsurprisingly, wants to promote itself rather than a team that no longer exists.

The older, genuinely historic cars are expected to be presented in the authentic livery and specification. It’s just not realistic to expect F1 teams to repaint a show car for a single event.

So, by your reckoning, that Brawn car winning a double world championship in it’s first and only year of existence was not in any way memorable or historically
important ?

The Brawn BGP 001 is a historic car by any measurement or standard you care to construct. It was, in any case, a Honda chassis through and through, but with added Brawn magic breathed onto it and powered by an excellent Merc engine..

As a car, it has about as much to to do with Mercedes current F1 status as I have.

I wasn’t suggesting the Brawn isn’t a special car – but “genuinely historic” means older and rarer than last year’s model, whatever its results.

The Lotus 72 wasn’t there to promote JPS, the McLaren MP4/8 and Alfa Romeo 182 weren’t there to promote Marlboro, the Ligier JS11 wasn’t there to promote Gitanes, etc. They are there because they’ve been kept/restored to their original condition and they’re rarely seen at all, let alone in action. However, when (for example) Marc Gene drives the 2009 Ferrari F1 car repainted in 2010 colours the lack of historical accuracy tends to be overlooked because a current F1 team has taken the trouble to attend the event along with one of its current drivers.

Had the Goodwood organisers told Mercedes it was a Brawn BGP 001 in its original livery or nothing, I suspect it would have been nothing…

I believe Jenson has one of the last original livery BGP001:s now, and I’m sure he will someday drive it in these types of events. But for now he changed, teams changed, sponsors changed, everything changed.

I do agree it’s just disrespectful, and a bit petty for Merc, but hey if this is the extent of politics in F1 this year compared to the last few, I’ll take it anytime!

got to see this festival once in my lifetime of course like every f1 fan i love the lotus 38 72 and other lotus that mclaren porsche is one of my fav although not the most elegant f1 car the non turbo williams should be driven by his son but…and seeing bruno senna on that i think it was a bit disrespectful it looked like an ghost was driving that

What’s the story with the Prost livery? The famous chevron turned into some weak curve, looks like a cheap knock-off.

It raced and was celebrated in Marlboro colours, and should be preserved and presented as it raced, anything else is dishonest.

When Lewis drove it at the TAG event, and in the Button seat-fitting youtube video …http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwij1NWPbTQ
… it still had some Marlboro chevrons and at least a barcode (yeuchh), but even that has all been crudely airbrushed from history in the intervening weeks.
Enough is enough, surely?

I didn’t see anything about McLaren bringing along Senna’s MP4-8, and it retains it’s original, spectacular, glorious livery. Is it a private collectors?

The MP4/2C was brought by McLaren, and Ron being Ron had all ‘Marlboro’ decals removed when West took over (in 1997). The MP4/8 is privately owned and is in it’s correct livery from Monaco, where this particular chassis (#6) claimed Senna’s 6th and last win there.

That car certainly isn’t the RB6. Strangely, the overhead airbox and the low cockpit sides look similar to the RB1. So it seems it is an RB1 modified to the new rules – though I can’t figure out why Red Bull would want to do that. Any idea Keith?

It’s the Red Bull Racing “Running show car” a sort of hybridised RB1, with the latest RB6 aero kit, used by Red Bull to do demonstrations (like the pitstop) all over the world, without coming into conflict with the engine limits, or the testing ban.

Keith, is that short for: “This author (“I”) prefers to be not keep things impersonal, because a blog works better when there is an actual living person feeling and showing his passion for the blog and its content. Thanks, Keith” :)

Newey is an experienced (and very fast) racer – he has a collection of classic racing cars and more modern stuff. I’ve seen him race a Lotus Exige in the Britcar race (as seen on Top Gear) and a Jaguar E-type at Goodwood Revival.